U.S. Coral Reefs Are Getting Sicker and Sicker

Put this one in the bad news file: A new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states that half of the coral reef ecosystems in U.S. waters are ailing, and that their condition has declined precipitously in the three years since the last report. Since 2005 the Caribbean has lost 50 percent of its corals primarily because of rising ocean temperatures, which are linked to global warming, the report says. Besides being a marvel of the natural world, the coral reefsserve as breeding grounds for many of the world's seafood species and act as indicators of overall ocean health.... [NOAA official Timothy] Keeney said 25 percent of all marine species need coral reefs to live and grow, while 40 percent of the fish caught commercially use reefs to breed. "If we lose the reefs, you lose a very significant and important habitat," Keeney said